Influence of Pakistan's militants is growing, raising fears among Christians, following deadly attacks.

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (BosNewsLife)-- Suspected Islamic militants shot and killed a Christian lawyer, his wife and their five children in northwestern Pakistan, just days after a pastor nearly died in a seperate attack linked to Muslim extremism, local Christians and rights activists said Friday, October 1.

Police found the bodies of attorney and evangelist Edwin Paul and his family at their home in Haripur, a small town near Abbotabad in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, previously known as the North-West Frontier Province, said Haripur Station House Officer Maqbool Khan.

The victim and his wife Ruby Paul, along with their five children ages 6 to 17, had been shot to death, he said. "On September 28 at around 8 a.m., we received a call from Sher Khan colony that people heard gunshots, and there was a group of people who ran from a house and drove away," Khan said. "We went and found seven bodies in a house."

Paul’s Muslim neighbor, Mushtaq Khan, told reporters a group of armed men had threatened the lawyer the previous day. "On Monday a group of armed men stopped Paul and took him by the collar and said, ‘Leave the town in 24 hours – we know how to throw out Christians, we will not allow even a single Christian to live here. We will hang them all in the streets, so that no Christian would ever dare to enter the Hazara land."

CHRISTIAN DRIVER

Local Christians said Muslim militants killed Paul because he defended a Christian taxi driver in Haripur who had received a loan of 150,000 rupees (US$1,725) tp buy a taxi from an influential Muslim whose lending network extends to some parts of Punjab Province.

Noor Khan agreed that to pay back 224,000 rupees (US$2,580) after one year, but said the Muslim business man had raised interest to 500 percent because he was a Christian, demanding back 1.12 million rupees [US$12,893].

Paul took Mehboob and the documents of the original loan agreement to the Haripur police station, Mehboob said. News of the attack came shortly after three Muslims reportedly beat a pastor and left him for dead in the Pakistani village of Sanda Chistana, Pakistan.

Washington-based Christian rights group International Christian Concern (ICC) said Patras Sani, pastor of the Church of God Ministries, was attacked September 21 while riding on a motorcycle when the Muslims hit him with a wooden rod to his face.

After being thrown off his motorcycle, they continued to assault him, ICC said. The pastor reportedly lost consciousness and they left him for dead. They also damaged his motorcycle and stole 3700 Pakistani Rupees ($43), according to rights activists.

Passersby found Sani and took him to Shrife hospital, Christians said.

PREACHING CONTINUES

"Even though we are beaten by radicals and we are persecuted by Muslims, we shouldn’t stop preaching the Word of God," Sani explained in remarks distributed by ICC.

However, "I am not afraid of persecution and I will continue to preach the Word of God. Many Muslims come to our meetings and receive healing and God is setting many hearts free," he said.

The attacks are the latest in a series of reported incidents against minority Christians in Pakistan, a heavily Muslim nation, where Islamic militants, with links to Taliban and al-Qaida, and their suppoters have increased their influence, despite efforts by the American military and Pakistani forces to stop them.

Earlier in September, Muslims reportedly attacked dozens of Christians, including one already cleared of blasphemy charges, in Punjab Province's Gujrat district. The attacks included an assault upon Tariq Gill, his father, mother and other Christians and 10 similar attacks on the Christian colony of Mohalla Kalupura, Gujrat city, said Reverend Suleman Nasri Khan and Bishop Shamas Pervaiz.

ASSAULT RIFLES

About 40 Muslims, some with assault rifles and pistols, others with axes and clubs -- beat some Christians so badly that they were left for dead, said Khan.

The Lorry Adda Police Station House Officer, inspector Riaz Qaddar, said that "no stone would be left unturned" to apprehend the gunmen, but Christians remain skeptical.

Pastor Khan said he led a protest in September at the Islamabad National Press Club with more than 250 Christians despite an attempt by Inspector Qaddar to arrest them before they arrived. "But the invisible hand of Almighty God helped us, and we safely made it to Islamabad," Khan said. "Although the government has clamped a ban on all sorts of processions and demonstrations, we successfully staged the sit-in before National Press Club."

ICC’s Regional Manager for South Asia, Jonathan Racho, said his group is "deeply concerned with the ongoing attacks" against Christians in Pakistan. "We urge Pakistani officials to ensure the rights of Christian minorities in the country to worship freely." (With reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos, Joseph C. DeCaro and George Whitten).

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That’s not what the Bible teaches. We as BosNewsLife do not condone violence, and while this is an open forum and believe in the right of free expression, would urge everyone to refrain from hate speech. Central Coparis while what you say may have been the case in the Old Testament under a law specifically designed for the twelve tribes making up the people of Israel at the time (‘eye for eye, teeth for teeth’ ) Jesus Christ in the New Testament fulfilled the Law of Moses with his death and resurrection and therefore this do longer applies, Bible believing Christians would argue based on the Bible which they regard as Gods Word. “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also,” Jesus says in Matthew 5:39 for instance. Also, when Jesus was detained to be crucified, before his resurrection from the death on the third day, he did not resist, but even healed the ear of the soldier. Please check out in the Bible Luke 22:47-54:

[47] While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, [48] but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

[49] When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” [50] And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

[51] But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

[52] Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? [53] Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour — when darkness reigns.”

[54] Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest.

Persecution seems part of following Christ for many people, and Christians are urged to pray for each other. BosNewsLife wants to inform about their plight.

the only to defend urself is speak with same language if they kill 10 do the same with them .as persecution going very strong where are western who accomodate these pigs whynot they accomodate christians .we pray god will punish them all and destroy pakihell forever and anyone who support them get the same .

These barbarian Muslims will never understand logic and forgiveness etc…they only understand the Israeli tit for tat…Bang them hard and they always respect you for them. Radical Judaism or Zionism is the perfect antidote for these Muslim cockroaches infesting civilised world…If the rest of the world mimics the Israelis you wont have Islamic bullying anymore. No doubt the Israeli treat an living Arab Muslim terrorist lesser value than a dead Israelis nails!

@cutthecrap(aka fullofcrap). I saw one of your preachers (imams) on the cable religion channel last weekend. He tells us that Jesus, trees and rocks are islam because they submit to allah (the false god). Of course Jesus was a jew and could not be islam because it wasn’t invented yet (yes, it was an invented religion). Trees and rocks have no choice in the matter as they have no brains. Therefore muslims must have no brains as they are islam.

The first lie of islam is there is no compulsion in it. Obviously, this is not true given the murders of those that choose to leave the scam (yes, it is a scam, like bait and switch). There is also the murders of the countless women that will not submit to the will of their fathers and marry pervert x, wife beater y or psychopath z. This covers the second lie of islam that women are honoured.

I’m sick of this f…n political correctness in the media. European countries, their citizens, tourists are in danger of massive terrorists strikes and on the news, run by leftists useful idiots they talk about some “militants”. Who are the f…n “militants”??? Can’t you for a change be honest and tell the World who the danger comes from? These, so-called, fricken “humanitarians” are so busy with trying to put Israel down, that they can’t see that their own pans are on fire.

Tolerant you say!? If so, then why is there no Cathedral or churches ever built in SAUDI BARBARIA? The only difference for Xtians is that we consider rape,murder,etc, as crimes.As for ISLAM and muhamadans point of view,they don’t as long as it is being perpetrated to infidels.Got that?Spread your Taqiyya elsewhere bro!We’re not buying so thanks anyway!!!

It’s no use just reading scores of such stories each day, if Christians do nothing about it. So do something about it. At least tell others about it, maybe at your church, and be part of an awareness campaign and pray for those effected.

As for the previous post, I hope that everyone can see the irrationality and evil of it and the dangers posed by people such as them.

A quick point by point reply, using his or her own reasoning, (1) Islam came to Bosnian Muslims through Muslim Turkish invaders who invaded Christian lands. (2) The Arabs in Israel, the so-called “Palestinians”, got there as a result of Islamic invasion of what was originally a Christian land long before the Crusades. Where is the respect in that? History doesn’t only begin when Muslims start losing.

Christians have a reason to be concerned about a religion and it’s followers, who throughout history and all over the world, regardless of race, culture or any other factors, cause so much terror. It is not only against Christians versus Muslims. It’s Muslims against everyone. Hindus, atheists, Jews, Pagans, Buddhist, You name it. They are terrorizing them.

And there is nothing wrong with Christians sharing their faith with others and inviting them if they would like to accept Jesus voluntarily.

*The killings in Gaza funded by Christians? I want the drugs you are on..

*What’s a ‘pro torture rally’? Is this another fantasy and/or projection from a Jr. Marxist whose fellow travelers are quite familiar with the usage of said tactic? On a mass scale?

Resulting in the deaths of tens of millions since 1917?

*Last time I checked, the Tea Parties were against big Government and were supported by people of all stripes, including *gasp* Christians, gay men and women, blacks, Hispanics, Asians etc.

*Please provide evidence that Christians purposely bomb mosques in Afghanistan or Pakistan? You know you are lying on this one, and I am calling your bullshit.

Again, last time I checked, it was your heroes in the ‘religion of peace’ ™ that seem to have no problem at all murdering their coreligionists in their place of worship.

Thousands of Muslims have committed thousands of terrorist attacks around the world ( most on their own people) since 9/11. These attacks have killed thousands of people. Knowing all this, you see the problem as being one of Christianity getting what they deserve. Uh huh..

Well, I suppose there is no accounting for the gullible and willfully blind among us. Just remember that the Islamists will come for you first when it all breaks down. You sound like the type that would sell your own mother out if it allowed you one more chance to bash your country, the west or Christianity.

Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance- to THOSE WHO ARE PEACEFUL AND TOLERANT TO IT!!!!

This is not the case with Christians. Look at the mass murder and rape of Muslim men and women in Bosnia by Orthodox Serbs & Catholic Croats, the killings in Gaza funded and supported by Christians, the Crusades from centuries ago to the War on Terror led by the US and popularly endorsed by fanatic Christians worldwide. Besides Christians are always trying to convert everyone and destroy their religion. It’s called ‘Crusade by Stealth’- look it up.

Go to any pro-war rally you will find Christians (and NeoCon Jews) there.
Go to any pro-torture event and you will see lot’s of Christians there.
Go to any racist incident (Tea Party protest against Muslims, Illegals etc), Christians are there.

Christians will get respect and tolerance when they dish it out. Looking at Christians in America, Europe and elsewhere- I don’t think that is ever going to happen.
They will bomb mosques in AfPak but want churches to be respected? I don’t think this is ever going to happen!

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